The FAF AFAP Digest

Trainer Session

Was fabulous! And so great for the ego ... Now I feel weak, completely unfit and inflexible. Sheesh!

First, he (Ron DeAngelo) put me through a battery of functional movement tests and put me on the True Flex machine. My hips, shoulders and legs are relatively flexible. My lower to middle back not so much. I don't think going to yoga 1x a week is going to help. I have to do it more often or stretch more.

Then we did some balance testing. I'm not much good at that either -- despite thinking I was improving through yoga. He assigned a 6 position single leg squat exercise to help fix this issue. I was pretty good at some of the more yoga like positions he had me try. In addition to the one legged squats for balance, he is a fan of the one legged squat hold and the bulgarian squat (one legged squat, down on a 4 count, hold for a 2 count, then back up quickly -- with weights)

Because I was interested in improving core strength and explosive strength for swimming, he recommended that I incorporate 6 holds, which are aka "isometric holds at extreme angles." They are:

Holds:

1. squat hold: Just get down in a very deep squat and hold, really tightening the glute and hamstring muscles. The idea is to work up from 1:00 to 5:00 on all these exercises. 3:00 is "the minimum." Happily, I could do this one for 3 mintues without too much problem. (I think he was somewhat surprised.) When you can advance to 5 minutes than you add weights. He has a sprinter girl client (100 dash specialist) who holds a 100 lb bar for 5:00 in the squat position.

2. pull up hold: you hang from the pull up bar. but instead of hanging straight down, you put your shoulders down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. You can rest your toes on something if you need too.

3. push up hold: get 2 boxes or steps about 5 inches off the ground. place your hands on the boxes and lower your body, contracting your back and core. Then you add weight on top of your back once you can do this for 5 minutes.

4. bicep hold: this can be done on a yoga ball with your arms fairly straight, tightening and pressing your triceps against the ball while holding the DBs out.

5. lunge hold: hold into a deep lunge squeezing hammies and glutes, place hands in a runner type position, squeeze and hold against sides. This is apparnetly the hardest of the holds. I only did it for a minute as we were trying to get through the exercises, but I can see that ... Nothing adorable or darling about this exercise.

6. good morning darling hold: standing up, hands up by your ears, bend at the waist contracting ab muscles until your looking under between your legs. hold the contraction.

No wonder Mr. Fort was complaining that this guy was so tough!

TRX Suspension Training:

He says this is "fabulous" for swimming. I tried some suspended planks (you can do them straight arm or on your forearms). Much harder than on the ground. Then I tried the plank moving forward and backward suspended -- very hard. Then I tried some side planks, even harder! Once you can do these you can do the side planks with the other arm scooping under. The upper body exercises you can do with TRX also seem pretty good. There are many TRX videos on youtube. Here's one that shows tons of exercises. I think it looks pretty fun. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxzQjbJLLJk&gclid=CKWIrsmx46ACFQ5qswodEFZY Cw"]YouTube- Why TRX Suspension Training?[/ame]

I also did the core stabilization exercise with him watching. This is the one where you are in a straight arm plank position with two DBs under your chest and you row them one at a time to your chest. I was moving somewhat on these, which is a big no no. To keep your body absolutely still while doing these you need to really squeeze you abs, back and glutes.

I told him I had been doing box jumps and he encouraged me to continue those. But he also wanted me to do "altitude drops" where you jump down from the box, land in a perfect squat and hold. He had 2, 4 & 6 feet boxes from which to do altitude jumps. Yikes. Like the other exercises, you can add weights to these when you become expert.

I described some of the other core exercises I was doing, which he said were "fine" (very glowing, no? lol). But the above exercises are superior for core and explosive strength. The holds can be done as an add on or in lieu of your strength training, but preferably both. He definitely seemed to think I should keep doing upper body work to keep the shoulders healthy and strong as well. Of course, he's a big fan of pull ups and chins ups.

He is a fan of overhead squats as well. I did some for him. He said I was shifting slightly to the right, which typically means you're shifting away from pain. Could have been my very sore left knee I was favoring. I also occasionally get a little twinge in my left lower back.

I got home and wanted to do some more of these exercises, but my left kneecap is absolutely killing me and causing me to limp somewhat when I walk. I hope it's better soon. I started icing.

Don't you have a history of sprained ankles from your running days? That can affect balance... as my PT explained a long time ago, the nerves that go from your feet up your legs need to be retrained so that the messages travel quickly back and forth between your foot and brain to stabilize. A very simplistic description, no doubt, but it made sense to me. The balancing exercises are awesome for that... if they get easy, do them with your eyes closed. Also helps prevent recurring sprains!

you have a history of sprained ankles from your running days? That can affect balance... as my PT explained a long time ago, the nerves that go from your feet up your legs need to be retrained so that the messages travel quickly back and forth between your foot and brain to stabilize. A very simplistic description, no doubt, but it made sense to me. The balancing exercises are awesome for that... if they get easy, do them with your eyes closed. Also helps prevent recurring sprains!

Yes, I've had stress fractures and ankle sprains in my left ankle. I saw another article in the WSJ about PRP. If it continues to become more commonplace and insurers cover it, I would consider doing that on my left ankle.

The holds do seem to be all about retraining your neural pathways and nervous system.

The one legged squat balancing is tough. The other ones he had me do (one leg
balancing, moving cobra) I was much better at. But those more closely resemble the yoga moves I've been doing.

I bet I can get to a 5 minute deep unweighted squat by the end of the day.

I did just do this and it ws a b*tch!

I only had an hour with him. It's hard to convey the physiological/neurological foundation of everything that quickly.

I do know that Mr. Fort started doing running holds to rehab his injury and build strength in the muscles around his injury. He had to take a few months off running and after 2 weeks back ran 18 miles at an under 8:00 pace.

Well, it could because the typical client is lacking fitness and it does take months to get there. If you're already fairly strong, probably not. He said I would be at a 5 minute squat soon. In fact, I'm about to try it. It didn't take Mr. Firt long, that's for sure.

Every day I do an 8 minute little ab routine I found in some book years ago. It is very basic but hurts. I then do a 1 minute plank at the end. I don't know why I do it other than out of a sense of obligation.

Every day I do an 8 minute little ab routine I found in some book years ago. It is very basic but hurts. I then do a 1 minute plank at the end. I don't know why I do it other than out of a sense of obligation.

Planks are among the best core work!

You might want to vary your routine every once in awhile! I am constantly trying and doing new things because I am very ADD. But I know some people find comfort in the sane regimen.

What is so terrible about side planks? I must be doing them wrong. Do you have a picture of a good one?

I often do 30 sec straight arm plank/30 sec rt side (left arm pointed at ceiling)/30 sec straight arm/30 sec left side - repeat for 2 on each side. If you do it twice through, it is 4 min of plank. But my feet are stacked on the side planks... I don't lift the top one up.

Side planks on my elbow aren't that bad either. I seriously must be doing something wrong. I do agree planks on your elbows seem harder than straight arm planks for some reason.